Ruling Party: "Only Limited Appearance Possible"
Opposition: "Intentionally Preventing Testimony"
Parliamentary Audit May Proceed Without General Witnesses on November 6
The ruling and opposition parties continued their tug-of-war over the appearance of Kim Hyunji, First Secretary to the President, as a witness until the final stages of the National Assembly audit. The Democratic Party of Korea repeatedly confirmed its position that Kim could only appear in a limited capacity, either in the morning or until 1 p.m. on the day of the audit, while the People Power Party increased pressure, claiming that the Democratic Party was intentionally trying to prevent her from appearing.
Park Soohyun, Chief Spokesperson of the Democratic Party, told reporters after the party's Supreme Council meeting on the 29th that "it seems the parties have not narrowed their differences" regarding discussions on Kim's appearance at the audit. Although behind-the-scenes negotiations could take place before the National Assembly Steering Committee's plenary session at 11 a.m. that day, the likelihood was considered low.
The People Power Party has repeatedly demanded Kim's appearance. They argue that she is a "ticking time bomb" tied to various allegations involving President Lee Jaemyung, including interference in the trial of former Gyeonggi Province Vice Governor for Peace Lee Hwayoung, personnel intervention regarding Korea Forest Service Chief Lee Inho, and involvement in the Baekhyeon-dong development project, and thus requires scrutiny. The party has also indicated that if Kim ultimately does not appear, they will treat it as an attempt to cover up suspicions and intensify their offensive against the Democratic Party and the administration.
Choi Eunseok, Senior Deputy Spokesperson for the People Power Party, said in a statement, "The public already knows that this situation would not have escalated if there had not been protection of former Secretary Kim at the level of the Lee Jaemyung administration," adding, "The continued shielding by the Democratic Party and the presidential office is effectively a declaration of confrontation with the people."
On the other hand, the Democratic Party maintains that, starting today, official schedules related to the 2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Summit are beginning, and therefore Kim, who is accompanying President Lee Jaemyung, cannot be kept at the audit all day.
The two parties also failed to reach a conclusion after about two hours of talks the previous day regarding Kim's selection as a witness for the audit. Moon Jinseok, Deputy Chief of Floor Operations for the Democratic Party, proposed during negotiations with Yoo Sangbeom, Deputy Chief of Floor Operations for the People Power Party, that Kim appear in the morning and be released by 1 p.m. However, Yoo rejected the proposal, saying, "With various work reports in the morning, the actual time for witness testimony would only be about an hour."
The Democratic Party, having shifted from its initial position of actively opposing Kim's appearance based on the customary practice that the First Secretary does not attend the audit, now feels it has made sufficient concessions. Previously, President Lee reportedly instructed Kim to appear at the audit during a recent meeting with aides and coordinated with the party on this matter. A member of the Democratic Party leadership told The Asia Business Daily, "We also presented alternatives through discussions, and since Kim also has APEC-related schedules, there is no reason we must unconditionally comply with the People Power Party's demands."
As the ruling and opposition parties remain at odds over Kim's attendance, it is also unclear whether general witnesses can be selected at the Steering Committee's plenary session that day. The Democratic Party wants the appearance of former President Yoon Seokyeol and his spouse, former Presidential Chief of Staff Chung Jinseok, and former First Deputy Director of National Security Kim Taehyo, all from the previous administration. The People Power Party, on the other hand, has requested Choi Myungsoo, a tax accountant and Kim's spouse, Jeon Jinbae and Jae Chanwoong, CEOs of JTBC, and Lee Boojin, CEO of Hotel Shilla. As a result, there is a growing likelihood that the audit will proceed with only institutional witnesses and no general witnesses.
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